


What I Did on my Summer Vacation

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: fiftysomething [33]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-06
Updated: 2014-10-06
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:56:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2410712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After all they'd been through what they had now was the icing on the cake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What I Did on my Summer Vacation

**Author's Note:**

> Its weird writing about Dave not paired with Erin and JJ not paired with Will but this universe was already established when I started shipping those ships hardcore. As usual, this follows my fanon lines where Sam didn’t die from the Reaper’s attack. I almost gave myself a headache trying to figure out how old was who and when did this and that take place and then I took a deep breath and I said 'who cares, write the story man'.

The three couples were having drinks and appetizers in the hotel lounge. They were seated at one of the outside tables and it was a gorgeous night in Orlando. Day three of the Disney World adventure was good for Hotch. He spent the first date resting, the second day running around like a man half his age in the park with Dylan and Isabel, and today he was resting again. Tomorrow he was planning a guys’ golf afternoon with Dave and Sam.

They were on a full-blown, no holds barred family vacation. The Hotchners, Rossis, Kassmeyers, Reids, and Lynchs, and Prescotts were all there. So was Morgan, Jordan, Natalie, Tug, and sixteen kids ranging in age from 6 to 13. Jack was the only one who couldn’t make the trip…he was still on the Gulf Coast doing his volunteer work. The family took half a floor of a hotel and would for ten days. It felt like too long since Hotch did a real vacation.

Last year his kids were so busy with all their activities that they never could squeeze in the time to go away. He and Emily did five days at the house in Hawaii with Sam and Jessie. By the time they got home and back to their frenetic pace, it felt as if he hadn't been anywhere. This summer, with Hotch about to start a more stressful job and Emily already in one, she said it was time to go away. They put the kids’ multitude of activities on hold and put family first.

This had been Emily’s major project for months. It wasn’t easy to get so many people on the same page. Agreeing on Disney World was the easiest part…there was something for everyone. Some of the family wanted to fly, some wanted to drive (as men do, Rossi said), and Morgan and Jordan were coming in a day late with her twins.

Emily had to find the perfect hotel with all the amenities her family would need. And they could be a picky group of people. They weren't planning to spend every minute in the park so she came up with a loose schedule of other days at other places. Everyone wanted a say so Emily had to take it all into account.

It had been an exhaustive effort but luckily she did have some help from her sister and friends. Hotch told his wife that she wasn’t allowed to do anything on this vacation that wasn’t considered fun. That was just fine with her. Tomorrow, Emily, Jessie, Julia, and Jordan were getting massages and facials after a hearty breakfast. Then they were going to lounge by the pool with the kids. She wasn’t going to worry about a thing while she was away. All the people she loved were there with her and there was too much fun to be had.

When the bill came, Hotch tried to grab it. Rossi got to it first, holding it up so Hotch couldn’t get to it. Sam snatched it out of Rossi’s hand. The three men just looked at each other but their wives laughed.

“You could challenge each other to a Greco-Roman wrestling match.” Jessie said.

“I have shitty knees.” Sam replied.

“And my back sucks.” Hotch admitted.

“I won't even get into all my aches and pains.” Rossi said.

“How about the oldest guy pays.” JJ said.

“That’s age discrimination.” Rossi replied. He was the oldest person at the table.

“Do it as men do.” Emily said. “Single worse work related injury takes it.”

“Victorious!” Sam held up his hands in triumph.

“I can't beat three bullet wounds at once.” Rossi said.

“Nine stab wounds come close but I have to concede to the medically induced coma.” Hotch said.

“Medically induced coma for the win.” Sam smiled, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

Emily and Jessie both knew how long it took Hotch and Sam to get to a place where their battle scars no longer bled. Both men were haunted by George Foyet, who’d been dead for almost 15 years. They had every right to be but also did their best to be strong and loving husbands and family men. Both was raising four healthy, happy kids and were in loving marriages. After all they'd been through what they had now was the icing on the cake.

“This was a great evening.” Dave said. “I love having dinner with everyone but something quiet always hits the spot.”

“Especially since I'm starting to think the kids are nocturnal.” Hotch replied. “I don’t know if Dylan, Isabel, and the twins even sleep at night. I have no idea how Lily sleeps through the insanity.”

“She's the youngest.” Jessie said. “She was born into the insanity.”

Sam and Jessie had four children. Michael was twelve, born six months after Bree. He was sweet, smart, and quiet…everyone said he was just like Sam. The twins, nine year old Keegan and Chase, were all about adventure. They were a slightly more excitable version of Dylan; times two.

Jessie could admit that they drove her a little crazy but they were sweet and always a lot of fun. Five year old Lily Bella, named after the belladonna lilies Jessie carried in her wedding bouquet, was the final addition. She had an adventurous streak in her as well but she never got as crazy as her brothers. Jessie thought she might be an athlete when she got older; Lily was never afraid to get dirty.

“I brought ear plugs to make it a real vacation.” Sam said. “You can still hear all the important things like fire alarms or screams for help. It manages to block out all the little things. I've been sleeping like a baby.”

The bill came back, Sam signed for it, and they left the lounge. The Rossis and Kassmeyers headed up to their rooms but Hotch said he was in the mood for an evening stroll. That suited Emily so they said goodnight to their best friends and in-laws.

“A lot of episodes of _Dateline_ start this way.” She said as they walked away from the hotel.

“It'll go something like this…” Hotch cleared his throat and put on his announcer voice. “ _Married for almost 15 years, the Hotchners have seen their share of ups and downs. There were times when one or both of them considered throwing in the towel. But the rough seas were behind them and there was smooth sailing ahead. They both looked forward to a vacation with their friends and loved ones. It would be a time to reconnect, reboot, and maybe even rekindle. That’s what Aaron Hotchner had in mind when he suggested a romantic after dinner walk with his wife. He never thought that it would be the beginning of the storm of the century_.”

“You pretty much nailed it.” Emily replied laughing. “If this Director of the FBI thing doesn’t work out for you, you definitely have a future in crime and investigation TV.”

“Did I do a good announcer voice?”

“It was awesome. Now I want to peek around dark corners to make sure no one is gonna jump out and chop me into little pieces.”

“No one will hurt you while I'm around, baby.” He had his arm around her and made sure she walked on the inside.

“Mmm hmm, that’s just what you want me to think.”

They both laughed and Hotch wore a big grin as he kissed her temple.

“I can tell how relaxed you are and we've only been here a few days.” Emily said. “I can feel it.”

“What does it feel like?”

“It’s hard to put into words. You just breathe differently when you're not worried about things. Your comfort gives me comfort.”

“I feel the same way about you. You’ve been a bit of a Stepford wife on the fritz lately. We both needed to get away and take full advantage of vacation. I'm really looking forward to 18 holes on the green tomorrow. And I promised Dylan and Isabel that we would all go on the Earthquake ride before we went home. That will surely take any bit of energy I have left. But a good tired is always better than a bad tired.”

“Well, when you get tired you can get in bed.” Emily replied. “You can spend as much time in bed as you'd like.”

“That’s damn near an offer I can't refuse. I think we definitely need to devote some of our time to just being with each other. It’s hard to disappear on family vacation…”

“We did a good job this evening.”

“You deserve some time just for you too, Em. You’ve been working so hard taking care of our family and all the people we love. You jumped in with both feet to run the FBI Academy. You did that while planning the most epic family vacation in the history of family vacations.”

“I’ll be repaid with the most amazing rubdown tomorrow.” Emily sighed as she leaned against him. It was getting late, it was still warm, and she definitely qualified as tipsy.

“I really hope a woman’s gonna be doing that.” Hotch said.

“Are you indulging in your latent girl on girl fantasies, honey?”

“There’s nothing latent about it.” Hotch grinned, dimples poking holes in his cheeks. “I was thinking more about never wanting any man’s oil slicked hands on your body except mine.”

“So noted.” She smiled. “I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t have to worry too much about it.”

“Thank you ma'am.”

“Don’t call me ma'am.”

“I thought it turned you on when I call you ma'am.” Hotch replied.

“I prefer Madame Deputy Director.” Emily said. “That turns me on. We should probably get back to the hotel.”

“Actually, I was thinking about turning that dark corner up there and taking our chances.”

“Haha, Aaron.” Emily laughed, giving him a friendly poke as they turned and headed back to the hotel. There was still action on the main streets of Orlando. Restaurants and lounges were open; tourists were out and about. “I'm just so happy you're in a good mood. You don’t know how happy that makes me.”

Hotch was definitely in a good mood. While he hoped for a little romance with his wife later on, so far the vacation had been relaxing but chaste; he planned to go back to the hotel for an hour or so of free cable with Dylan and Isabel before their bedtime. Surely they would find something crazy to watch. There was no need for anything serious while they were on vacation. His mood was boosted even more when he remembered he wouldn’t have to walk the golf course tomorrow. They always got a cart when Sam golfed with them…his knees couldn’t do the long walks.

“Emily?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you, baby.” He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and kissed her.

Emily smiled against his lips, pulling Hotch into a hug as people walked around the couple. He didn’t seem to care that they were in public; his hands slipped down from her waist to her ass. Emily laughed, giving him another kiss.

“Even though you're a dirty old man, I love you too. I can see us ending up in the _National Enquirer_. The headline would say ‘ _Future FBI Director Cops a Feel_ ’.”

“ _Dateline_ and the _National Enquirer_ …woman, we’re famous.”

She gave him another squeeze before they started walking again. It was a beautiful evening and Emily always enjoyed being with him. She looked forward to spending time with everyone on this trip, including her sister, her stepmother, and all of her girlfriends. She was doubly excited about being with him. Real time with Hotch, and not just in bed, was the best part about getting away.

***

  



End file.
